Roller table

ABSTRACT

A roller table has first and second spaced apart elongate side members and a plurality of rollers carried by the side members. Each roller has bearing assemblies adjacent its ends and one of the bearing assemblies on each roller is in the form of a housing which is slideably mounted in a side member. The housing is slideable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the roller to allow the roller to be removed from the side members. Removable means are provided for preventing movement of the housing relative to the side member until this movement is required.

Jmte States Patent 1 1 3,739,329 Sturdy et al. 1 May 1, 1973 1 ROLLER TABLE [56] References Cited [75] Inventors: Clifford -Sturdy, Chesterfield; TED STATES PATENTS w Hathersage; 3,382,964 5/1968 Bonhoff et al. ..198/12? R D uglas Hil Sheffield, all of 2,973,093 2 1951 Ericson ....198/127R gland 3,345,850 10/1967 Sack et a1. 193/37 X I 2,401,592 6/1946 Von Stocker ..l98/l 27 R X [73] Assigneez- Davy and United Engineering Com- P Limited, Sheffield Yorkshire Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk England Assistant Examiner-11. S. Lane 22 pfl June 3 1971 Anomey- -Hen'ry C. Westin Appl. No.: 149,597

Foreign Application Priority Data June 11, 1970 Great Britain ..28,265/7O US. Cl. ..198/127 R, 193/35 R Int. Cl ..B65g 13/02 Field of Search ..198/127 R; 193/35 R,

[5 7 ABSTRACT 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ROLLER TABLE The invention relates to roller tables for conveying articles, in particular to tables for conveying heavy metal blooms and slabs. A'particular, but not sole, application of the invention relates to a roller table for use at either the entry or the exit side of a blooming or slabbing rolling mill.

Roller tables which are subjected to high loads, such as are encountered by a roller table used in conjunction with a rolling mill, suffer from considerable damage and wear to the rollers. These rollers have to periodically be removed and replacement rollers fitted. It is desirable to carry out this operation with the minimum of delay since during the removal and replacement period the mill cannot be used. It is therefore desirable for the roller of a roller table to be readily and quickly replaceable.

According to the present invention a roller table comprises first and second spaced apart elongate side members and a plurality of rollers each having bearing assemblies adjacent their ends, the assemblies being carried by the side members with the rollers transverse to the longitudinal axes of the side members, and wherein one bearing assembly on each roller is carried by or forms part of a housing which is slideably mounted with respect to the side member associated therewith, said housing being slideable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the roller, and removable means for preventing movement of the housing relative to the side member.

During normal operation of the table, the housing which is slideable with respect to its side member is rigidly held in position in that member and consequently the rollers cannot be removed from the side members. HOwever when it is necessary to change a roller, the slideably mounted housing associated with the roller is released from the side member and this permits the roller to be displaced axially.

In one embodiment of the invention, the bearing assemblies at both ends of the rollers are carried in slideably mounted housings but in further embodiments of the invention only one of the bearing assemblies of each roller is carried in a slideably mounted housing and the other bearing assembly is carried in a housing which fits into an opening in the adjacent side member. The non-slideable housing may be tapered and fit into a correspondingly tapered opening in the side member. The direction of the taper is such that the housing can only be withdrawn from the opening in the side member by displacing it axially and towards the other side member.

When the roller table is associated with a blooming or slabbing mill it is usual for manipulators to be provided for engaging the bloom or slab to position it on the roller table. In such an arrangement it is usual for the manipulator heads to overlie the rollers of the roller table and to enable the rollers to be removed from the table it is necessary for at least one of the manipulator heads to be displaced laterally of the table to a position where it no longer overlies the rollers and thereby provide a space through which the rollers can be lifted out of the table.

It is usual for the rollers of a roller table associated with a rolling mill to be driven. In this case it is convenient for the drive to the rollers to include an axially splined coupling connected to one end of the rollers. The drive from the coupling to the roller is disconnected as the roller is displaced laterally to release the bearing assemblies from the side members prior to the roller being lifted out of the table.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood it will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a roller table at the entry or exit side of a blooming or slabbing mill,

FIG. 2 is a part-sectional side elevation on the lines Il-II of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation, similar to FIG. 1, showing a roller of the table in a position ready for withdrawal from the table.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a roller 1 of a roller table positioned at the entry side of a blooming or slabbing mill (not shown) is rotatably mounted in first and second side members 2 and 3. The roller, at its end supported by the side member 2 carries a bearing as sembly 4 and the assembly has a tapered housing 5 which fits into a tapered opening 6 in the side member. An end portion of the roller projects beyond the bearing assembly and is coupled by splines to a coupling 7 driven by an electric motor (not shown). The bearing assembly 8 at the other end of the roller is mounted in or forms part of a housing 9 which is in the form of a chock having a base portion 10 with a flat surface which slides in contact with a flat surface at the bottom of a slot 11 provided in the side member 3. A pair of wedges 12, one associated with thechock and the other associated with the frame member serve to rigidly hold the chock in the frame member.

To remove the roller from the table, the roller is supported from an overhead crane as shown in FIG. 3 and the wedges 12 are removed. The roller is then displaced laterally to withdraw the end of the roller from the coupling 7 and the housing 4 from out of engagement with the side member 2. This lateral movement also withdraws the chock 9 out of the side member 3 along the slide-surfaces. Once the roller has been displaced from the side members it can then be withdrawn vertically.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the Figures, the roller table is associated with a pair of manipulators 20 and 21. Each manipulator has a head 22 which extends longitudinally of the roller table, i.e., laterally of the rollers. The head of the manipulator 21 is carried on a plurality of beams 23 which project between the rollers of the table and the head of the manipulator 20 is carried on a plurality of beams 24 which are positioned between and above the beams 23. Close to the head 22 of the manipulator 20 a support block 25 is positioned so as to carry the weight of the manipulator head. The manipulator beams 24 are provided with a latch 26 operated by a piston and cylinder device 27. In order to pull back the manipulator heads sufficiently to enable the rollers to be withdrawn, the manipulator 20 is displaced towards the manipulator 21 until the heads are almost in contact and the latches 26 are coupled to hoods 28 on the support block 25. The beams 24 then pull the manipulator head 22 from above the rollers and the block 25 slides along a guide 29 thereby still supporting the weight of the manipulator head. In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle and operation of our invention and have illustrated and described what we consider to represent the best embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. A roller table comprising first and second spacedapart elongate side members and a plurality of rollers each having bearing assemblies mounted thereon adjacent their ends, and wherein the bearing assemblies are supported by the side members with the rollers transverse to the longitudinal axes of the side members and with one bearing assembly on each roller having a housing which is located in a recess in the associated side member with the housing in sliding relation with the base of the recess in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the roller and removable means for preventing the housing from sliding out of the recess, said recess being open at its top so that said roller and housing may be lifted from said side member only when said housing has been slid from said recess.

2. A roller table as claimed in claim 1 wherein the other bearing assembly associated with each roller has a housing which fits into an opening in the side member associated therewith and which permits the assembly to be removed from the side member in the direction towards the other side member.

3. A roller table as claimed in claim 2 wherein said other bearing assembly associated with each roller has a tapered housing which fits into a correspondingly tapered opening in the side member.

4. A roller table as claimed in claim 2 wherein an end portion of the roller projects outwardly of said other bearing assembly, said end portion being splined to permit a drive connection to be made thereto.

5. A roller table as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing which is slideable with respect to the side member associated therewith has a base portion providing a flat surface which is slideable in contact with a flat surface at the bottom of a slot in said side member and wherein the means for preventing relative movement between the housing and the side member comprises at least one key locatable between the housing and the side member.

6; A roller table as claimed in claim 1 wherein both bearing assemblies on each roller have a housing which is located in a recess in the associated side member with the housing in sliding relation with the base of the recess in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the roller and each side member having removable 

1. A roller table comprising first and second spaced-apart elongate side members and a plurality of rollers each having bearing assemblies mounted thereon adjacent their ends, and wherein the bearing assemblies are supported by the side members with the rollers transverse to the longitudinal axes of the side members and with one bearing assembly on each roller having a housing which is located in a recess in the associated side member with the housing in sliding relation with the base of the recess in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the roller and removable means for preventing the housing from sliding out of the recess, said recess being open at its top so that said roller and housing may be lifted from said side member only when said housing has been slid from said recess.
 2. A roller table as claimed in claim 1 wherein the other bearing assembly associated with each roller has a housing which fits into an opening in the side member associated therewith and which permits the assembly to be removed from the side member in the direction towards the other side member.
 3. A roller table as claimed in claim 2 wherein said other bearing assembly associated with each roller has a tapered housing which fits into a correspondingly tapered opening in the side member.
 4. A roller table as claimed in claim 2 wherein an end portion of the roller projects outwardly of said other bearing assembly, said end portion being splined to permit a drive connection to be made thereto.
 5. A roller table as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing which is slideable with respect to the side member associated therewith has a base portion providing a flat surface which is slideable in contact with a flat surface at the bottom of a slot in said side member and wherein the means for preventing relative movement between the housing and the side member comprises at least one key locatable between the housing and the side member.
 6. A roller table as claimed in claim 1 wherein both bearing assemblies on each roller have a housing which is located in a recess in the associated side member with the housing in sliding relation with the base of the recess in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the roller and each side member having removable means for preventing the housing from sliding out of the recess. 